Partners news

Wednesday, December 5

Combined tonnage handled by the two ports has fallen in half since 2014, to 8.9 million tons Combined tonnage handled by the two ports has fallen in half since 2014, to 8.9 million tons, says Rajvis Veckagans, chairman of the Sea Ports Authority. Contributing factors are: loss of the Donetsk ...

Uncertainty over freedom of navigation has prompted international dredging companies to refuse to send expensive equipment into the Azov Uncertainty over freedom of navigation has prompted international dredging companies to refuse to send expensive equipment into the Azov, Veckagans said. Without international participation, his agenc...

Discreet NATO military pressure on Russia may have helped to ‘partially’ restore freedom of shipping in the Azov Discreet NATO military pressure on Russia may have helped to ‘partially’ restore freedom of shipping in the Azov. On Monday, the Commander of the United States Army Europe and the Commander of the Can...

Overhead, high altitude US spy planes monitor the Azov and Black Seas Overhead, high altitude US spy planes monitor the Azov and Black Seas. In the Black Sea, NATO ships have extended their tours by 50%, to 120 days, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg tells a Bruss...

Russia also may be on the defensive as leading German conservatives start to question Nord Stream 2 Russia also may be on the defensive as leading German conservatives start to question Nord Stream 2, the $9 billion Russia to Germany gas pipeline. “There is no talk of stopping [gas] transit through ...

Russian gas shipments through Ukraine’s east-west pipeline are down 7.4% through November Russian gas shipments through Ukraine’s east-west pipeline are down 7.4% through November, compared to first 11 months of last year, reports Ukrtransgaz, the pipeline operator. Further cutting revenue...

Tuesday, December 4

Igor Gumenny, President of UBC Group, the Kharkiv-based refrigerator manufacturer, posts Monday on his Facebook page Igor Gumenny, President of UBC Group, the Kharkiv-based refrigerator manufacturer, posts Monday on his Facebook page: “There is nothing tragic. Meetings, visits of business partners, credit lines, ins...

The government needs to have a direct dialogue with business The government needs to have a direct dialogue with business to “find effective and constructive ways to implement these measures, so that they have the least possible impact on the economy,” urges De...

Oleg Pakhomov, retail business director for Credit Dnepr Bank, says his bank is not changing lending rules Oleg Pakhomov, retail business director for Credit Dnepr Bank, says his bank is not changing lending rules, adding: “We believe that the introduced martial law regime in the current situation should n...

Citing Ukraine’s martial law Citing Ukraine’s martial law, Bulgaria Air has suspended for two weeks its flight from Sofia to Odesa. The twice a week flight was launched last February.

To fill seats, Europe’s low cost airlines will have to heavily promote Ukraine among Europeans as a vacation destination To fill seats, Europe’s low cost airlines will have to heavily promote Ukraine among Europeans as a vacation destination and Kyiv and Lviv as “city break’ weekend destinations, Denis Antoniuk, former ...

Air passengers through Lviv this year are up 47% through November yoy, to almost 1.5 million Air passengers through Lviv this year are up 47% through November yoy, to almost 1.5 million, the airport reports on its Facebook page. Of the nearly 125,000 passengers in November – up 57% over last ...

German Chancellor Merkel asked President Putin to restore freedom of shipping to the Azov. German Chancellor Merkel asked President Putin to restore freedom of shipping to the Azov. “The freedom of shipping traffic in the Sea of Azov…must be ensured,” she told reporters after meeting ...

By blocking shipping in the Azov, President Putin seeks to damage Ukraine’s economy By blocking shipping in the Azov, President Putin seeks to damage Ukraine’s economy, Iryna Gerashchenko, first deputy chair of the Rada, said in Kherson, the Black Sea region. Speaking to the Regional...

Trains can replace ships to minimize the impact of a Russian blockade of the Kerch Strait Trains can replace ships to minimize the impact of a Russian blockade of the Kerch Strait, Dmitry Sologub, deputy head of the National Bank of Ukraine, tells reporters Monday. He said the monthly “inf...

The EU and the US should consider banning from their ports Russian ships originating from the Sea of Azov, The EU and the US should consider banning from their ports Russian ships originating from the Sea of Azov, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, a top candidate to replace Chancellor Angela Merkel as leader of ...

Contributing to Germany’s debate, Prime Minister Groyman told newspaper Die Welt: Contributing to Germany’s debate, Prime Minister Groyman told newspaper Die Welt: “Nord Stream 2 is a form of disguised war against Europe…we now are considering this project as Russia’s geopoli...

Groysman was in Berlin Thursday to open a German-Ukraine business forum, attended by 400 business and political Groysman was in Berlin Thursday to open a German-Ukraine business forum, attended by 400 business and political leaders from Germany and Ukraine. Trade between Ukraine and Germany, Ukraine’s largest E...

Retail lending could grow by up to 40% next year Retail lending could grow by up to 40% next year, according to five bankers interviewed by Interfax-Ukraine. Oleg Pakhomov, retail business director of Credit Dnepr Bank, says predicts up to 40% growt...

The volume of bank deposits has not changed appreciably since martial law was implemented one week ago The volume of bank deposits has not changed appreciably since martial law was implemented one week ago, Kateryna Rozhkova, first deputy head of the National Bank of Ukraine, briefed reporters on Monda...

Business leaders are gauging the impact – if any — of martial law Business leaders are gauging the impact – if any — of martial law, according to a survey story by Interfax-Ukraine. The Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs has asked member companies to report any ...

Monday, December 3

Grain handling capacity at Ukraine’s sea ports has increased this year by 14% to 50 million tons Grain handling capacity at Ukraine’s sea ports has increased this year by 14% to 50 million tons, Maksym Shyrokov, head of the Sea Ports Authority’s Yuzhne branch, tells a grain terminal conference in...

Looking ahead, $1 billion worth of public private partnerships are underway to build terminals, reloading complexes and berths Looking ahead, $1 billion worth of public private partnerships are underway to build terminals, reloading complexes and berths in Chornomorsk, Mariupol, Mykolaiv, Odesa and Yuzhne ports, Shyrokov says...

Work is starting on a $55 million China-Ukraine public private investment to increase grain and vegetable oil handling facilities at Mykolaiv Work is starting on a $55 million China-Ukraine public private investment to increase grain and vegetable oil handling facilities at Mykolaiv, now Ukraine’s second busiest Black Sea Port, after Odesa....

Kyiv’s new train to the plane – the Kyiv Boryspil Express train – runs at full schedule this week — Kyiv’s new train to the plane – the Kyiv Boryspil Express train – runs at full schedule this week — 30 times a day, around the clock, linking Kyiv’s Central Rail Station with Boryspil, the natio...

Ten years in the making, the project suffered a setback when the first $50 million tranche of Chinese financing disappeared Ten years in the making, the project suffered a setback when the first $50 million tranche of Chinese financing disappeared, and Vladislav Kaskiv, the Yanukovych-era director of the State Investment P...

After taking the train Sunday evening, the UBN offer these travel tips After taking the train Sunday evening, the UBN offer these travel tips. From Boryspil, there is no signage inside Terminal D, the main terminal. Outside on the arrivals level, a large blue and white U...

Arrival at Kyiv Central station’s Platform 14 means lugging bags up two flights of stairs. Arrival at Kyiv Central station’s Platform 14 means lugging bags up two flights of stairs. There is a pleasant, guarded waiting room – heated, with electric outlets, Wi-Fi and a children’s area....

In a clear signal of support to Ukraine, the EU has approved disbursement of €500 million in aid to Ukraine – two weeks before the IMF and the World Bank are to approve similar aid. In a clear signal of support to Ukraine, the EU has approved disbursement of €500 million in aid to Ukraine – two weeks before the IMF and the World Bank are to approve similar aid. Valdis Dombrovskis...

The EU approved up to €1 billion in aid to Ukraine last summer in return for the government to make free market-oriented changes. The EU approved up to €1 billion in aid to Ukraine last summer in return for the government to make free market-oriented changes. These include: fighting corruption, improving transparency of company ...

Using new German and Chinese drilling rigs, Ukrgazviboduvannya, the nation’s largest oil and gas producer, plans to increase drilling volumes by two thirds in 2019 Using new German and Chinese drilling rigs, Ukrgazviboduvannya, the nation’s largest oil and gas producer, plans to increase drilling volumes by two thirds in 2019, a record jump for the state energy ...

By Dec. 1, Ukraine used up 10 quotas for duty free exports of farm products to the EU By Dec. 1, Ukraine used up 10 quotas for duty free exports of farm products to the EU: honey, butter, chicken meat, cereals, corn, wheat, malt and wheat gluten, processed tomatoes, and grape and apple...

Uzbekistan, the largest importer of Ukrainian sugar, has suspended sugar imports from Ukraine due to a “ban on accepting and customs clearance of Ukrainian goods,” Uzbekistan, the largest importer of Ukrainian sugar, has suspended sugar imports from Ukraine due to a “ban on accepting and customs clearance of Ukrainian goods,” reports Ukrtsukor, the National Asso...

Friday, November 30

With martial law covering 10 border regions until Dec. 26, the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine is advising “a business as usual approach until further notice.” With martial law covering 10 border regions until Dec. 26, the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine is advising “a business as usual approach until further notice.” “We have launched a special task...

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said Thursday that the IMF Board will review the standby program with Ukraine after Dec. 10. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said Thursday that the IMF Board will review the standby program with Ukraine after Dec. 10. “The preliminary assessment is satisfactory and the process is expe...

Dragon Capital writes: “ Dragon Capital writes: “The latest upbeat statement from the IMF signals that the IMF Board is likely to approve a 14-month $3.9bn Stand-by program for Ukraine by the end of the year.”

Concorde Capital’s Concorde Capital’s Alexander Paraschiy writes: “All this confirms our expectation that Ukraine will receive the first tranche under new $3.9 billion stand-by loan program with the IMF by the end of th...

Gazprom says that 300 km, or 25% of the total 1,220 km, of Nord Stream 2 has been laid on the Baltic seabed, Gazprom says that 300 km, or 25% of the total 1,220 km, of Nord Stream 2 has been laid on the Baltic seabed, offshore of Greifswald, Germany and in the economic zone of Finland. According to the Russi...

Ukraine’s gas transportation system is cheaper and more reliable than Nord Stream Ukraine’s gas transportation system is cheaper and more reliable than Nord Stream 2, Prime Minister Groysman told German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier when they met Thursday in Berlin. Ear...

As of Thursday, Ukraine’s farmers harvested a record 68.5 million tons of As of Thursday, Ukraine’s farmers harvested a record 68.5 million tons of grain from 14.5 million hectares, 98% of the forecast area, reports the State Statistics Service. The previous record was in 2...

Since the start of the grain marketing year, on July 1, Ukraine has exported 17.6 million tons of grain. Since the start of the grain marketing year, on July 1, Ukraine has exported 17.6 million tons of grain. Largely passing through the Black Sea ports, this flow of food includes: 9 million tons of whea...

Real, inflation-adjusted wages were up 14.2% yoy in October, to $328 per month Real, inflation-adjusted wages were up 14.2% yoy in October, to $328 per month, the State Statistics Service reports. As usual, the highest monthly wage was in Kyiv — $493. The National Bank of ...

Through October, retail sales are up 5.4% yoy Through October, retail sales are up 5.4% yoy, the State State Statistics Service reports. The highest growth was observed in government-controlled Luhansk – up 27%; government-controlled Donetsk – up...

Ukraine’s largest e-commerce companies, Rozetka and EVO Group, are merging this week Ukraine’s largest e-commerce companies, Rozetka and EVO Group, are merging this week, after winning approval from Ukraine’s Antimonopoly Committee on Tuesday. Rozetka bought a 56 percent stake in EVO ...

Russia is blocking 35 ships carrying cargo to or from Ukraine’s Azov seaports Ukraine’s Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan Russia is blocking 35 ships carrying cargo to or from Ukraine’s Azov seaports Ukraine’s Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan charged Wednesday night. “The Ukrainian ports of the Azov Sea, Mariupo...

As of 11 am Thursday, 12 ships were waiting near the Kerch Bridge As of 11 am Thursday, 12 ships were waiting near the Kerch Bridge for Russian permission and pilot assistance to pass through the Kerch–Yenikale shipping canal en route Mariupol, the port director of ...

In response to the blocking of ships, Federica Mogherini, the EU’s High Representative In response to the blocking of ships, Federica Mogherini, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, stated: “The European Union expects Russia to ensure unhindered and free...

The EBRD approved Wednesday an EUR 150 million loan to a Norwegian project to build a wind power farm on Lake Syvash, facing Crimea The EBRD approved Wednesday an EUR 150 million loan to a Norwegian project to build a wind power farm on Lake Syvash, facing Crimea. Located 25 km west of the Sea of Azov, the nearly EUR 400 million p...

KfW, German’s State Development Bank, is negotiating an EUR 150 million loan to upgrade Odesa port and to repair two highways in the east KfW, German’s State Development Bank, is negotiating an EUR 150 million loan to upgrade Odesa port and to repair two highways in the east: Mariupol to Zaporizhia, and Pokrovsk, Donetsk to Mykhailivka,...

With martial law covering 10 border regions until Dec. 26, the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine is advising “a business as usual approach until further notice.” With martial law covering 10 border regions until Dec. 26, the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine is advising “a business as usual approach until further notice.” “We have launched a special task...